Vascular Endothelial Protection Effects of Curcuma wenyujin Root Aqueous Extracts on LPS-induced Rat Vascular Damage

Sepsis caused by bacterial infection can also induce vascular endothelial damage through endotoxins secreted by bacteria such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The mechanism of LPS induce vascular endothelial damage is mainly through the release of pro-inflammatory factors and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), then MMPs further cause the glycocalyx layer to damage endothelial cells and finally lead to hyperosmolar vascular abnormalities and eventually microcirculatory disorders in general clinical practice, and are used in clinical treatment to prevent the release of pro-inflammatory factors. However, the immunosuppressive effect of high-dose dexamethasone is unpredictable before pathogens are cleared. Curcuma wenyujin (CW) is a traditional Chinese medicine containing the biologically active ingredient β-elemene, which has been reported to have endothelial protective effects. In this study, an acute vascular endothelial damage animal model was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS in rats, and the treatments included oral administration of CW root aqueous extract solution at a low dose (LW group, 375 mg/kg/day) and high dose (HW group, 1500 mg/kg) for endothelial protection evaluation. The results demonstrated that HW reduced the TLR4 signaling pathway and downstream markers of vascular inflammation, particularly MMP2 and MMP9. This study suggests that CW, a traditional Chinese medicine, could CW root aqueous extracts treatments protect against LPS-induced acute vascular damage in rats. This study advocates for further clinical exploration of CW as a potential clinical use in bacterial infection-induced sepsis or complementary treatment to current therapies, potentially benefiting cardiovascular and other inflammatory conditions.